Utility brush



Dec. 30, 1958 G. K. DAVIS 2,866,216

" UTILITY BRUSH Filed June 25. 1955 IN V EN TOR. GEORGE K. 04 V15ATTORNEYS nited States Patent 2,866,216 I UTILITY BRUSH George K. Davis,Garden Grove, Calif. Application June 23, 1955, Serial No. 517,667 4Claims. (31. -198) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266)I The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to a utility brush and more particularly to are-fillable pencil type brush for use with a rotary power driven shaft.

Rust, scale, and other effects of corrosion frequently occur on surfaceswhich are within or between closely adjacent parts and are thereforealmost totally inaccessible to commonly used abrasive and cleaningbrushes. Laborious hand cleaning methods must frequently be employed insuch situations.

There have been devised re-fillable brushes such as that shown, forexample, in the patent to Fogliasso, No. 2,392,909. A brush of this typeutilizes a complicated and costly shaped and threaded core and nutarrangement to retain the brush elements. In addition to expense andcomplexity of the retaining core, particularly formed brush elements arerequired for the specific core. Furthermore, there exists the hazard ofpossible accidental disassembly during use.

The brush of the present invention comprises an adapter arranged to besecured to a rotary shaft, a hollow holder body detachably secured tothe adapter and simple laterally engageable and releasable spring meansfor detachably securing a brush element to the assembly. The parts areproportioned and dimensioned for simple access to such surfaces as theinternal portions of box type boiler headers, valve guides, and thelike.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved holding meansfor a brush element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush in which the tuftsof brush material may be quickly and easily replaced when worn.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a small rotarybrush which incorporates inexpensive and simple replaceable bristles.

this invention will be readily appreciated as the same 1 becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the brush of this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a pictorial view of the assembled brush with parts brokenaway. 1

As best seen in Fig. 1, adapter 10 formed with a blind hole threaded asat 12, is provided with a reduced diameter shank 14 which is suitablyshaped for driving engagement with a power driven rotary shaft (notshown). A hollow tubular holder body 16, externally threaded as at 18,is provided with a slot or bifurcation and a pair of diametricallyopposed apertures 22. As illustrated in Fig. 1, threads 18 do not extendthe full length of body 16 whereby the unthreaded portion thereof may beconveniently engaged by a wrench or the like. Obviously both elements 10and 16 may be suitably circumferentially r 2,866,216 Patented Dec. 30,1958 shaped to receive such wrench. A substantially U-shaped springsteel clip 24 is formed with outwardly turned ends 26 which are arrangedto be securely held within apertures 22 by reason of the fact that thedistance between flanged ends 26 is normally (in unstressed position)greater than the internal diameter of body 16. Clip 24 is constructedand positioned to place the bight thereof at right angles to andextending between the furcations of the body 16, extending substantiallyacross the body. The brush elements or bristles 28, 30 convenientlycomprise a pair of short doubled or folded lengths or sections of rightlay stranded stainless steel cable or similar easily available andexpendable wire elements.

To assemble the structure the clip 24 is inserted into tubular body 16from the threaded bifurcated end thereof until flanged ends 26 snap intoapertures 22. Folded cables 28, 30 are then individually fed into andthrough body 16 from the threaded end thereof with the ends of eachcable straddling and passing on opposite sides of the bight of clip 24.The two cables 28, 30 are preferably arranged side by side and each ispressed through the body 16 until the bight portion or fold thereofabuts the bight of the clip. To facilitate insertion of the cable ends,they may be coated with a suitable material which will prevent frayingof the ends and fouling thereof on the body 16. The adapter 10 is thenthreaded on body 16, the threads being right hand so that the engagementthereof is enhanced when shank 14 is driven, for example, by an electricdrill or flexible cable. Bifurcation 20 facilitates insertion of thecables 28, 30 and permits the bight portions thereof to expand outwardlyagainst threads 12 when members 10 and 16 are assembled, therebycompressing and further securing the bristle elements in the assemblybetween the adapter hole and the clip. Alternatively the assembly may beinitiated by placing the bight of clip 24- against the folds of cables23, 30 as illustrated by the dotted line position of the clip in Fig. 1,and then pressing elements 24, 28, 30 into body 16 from the unthreadedend thereof until the flanged ends 26 seat in apertures 22. Members 10and 16 may be relatively axially adjusted to effect an optimum degree ofcompression of the folds of the cables between the adapter and thespring clip.

Disassembly is of course effected by reversal of the assembly procedurebut it may not be necessary to remove clip 24 when replacing the cables.

When the brush is driven by a conventional rotary power source,centrifugal force will effect the unwinding of the strands of the rightlay cable and will further effect unwinding of the wire elements 32 ofeach strand. In use, the filaments or wire elements 32 flare outwardlyas indicated by the dotted line showing in Fig. 2. Thus when the brushis inserted in a tube having an internal diameter just greater than theouter diameter of adapter 10, the outward flaring of the filamentsprovides a more effective cleaning. When rotation of the brush ceases,the filaments return to the full line position of Fig. 2 and the brushmay be inserted into another tube of the same small internal diameterwithout fouling.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the brush of the presentinvention may be simply constructed in small sizes with few parts. Thebrush uses inexpensive but efficient bristle elements which are quicklyand easily attached in a manner which safely and securely retains thebristles in position, thereby avoiding the hazards of accidentaldisassembly during use. The bristles are similarly easily removed andreplaced.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A brush assembly comprising a hollow holder body having a pair ofdiametrically opposed apertures therein adjacent one end portionthereof, the other end portion of said body being externally threadedand axially bifurcated, a U-shaped spring clip positioned within saidbody having outwardly bent ends engaged in said apertures, the bight ofsaid clip extending substantially at right angles to and between thefurcations of said other end portion, at least one folded section ofright lay stranded cable straddling said clip with the inner portion ofthe cable fold engaging the bight of said clip and the free ends of thecable extending through and beyond said one end portion of said body, anadapter having a blind hole threadedly engaged with said threaded bodyportion. the bottom of said hole engaging the cable fold and bigntportions of the cable fold expanding between said furcations anddiametrically outwardly of said body into engagement with the threadedwall of said adapter, and means on said adapter for coupling theassembly to a driving means.

2. A brush assembly comprising an adapter, a tubular holder body, aresilient retaining member detachably secured to and within said body, adoubled brush elon1ent folded over said retaining member and having theends thereof extending through and beyond said body, the fold of saidbrush element being positioned at one end of said holder body andbetween said member and said adapter, and means for detachably securingsaid body at said one end thereof to said adapter to press said brushelement between said retaining member and said adapter,

'4 said means comprising external threads on said one end in engagementwith internal threads in said adapter.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said body is formed with a pair ofdiametrically opposed apertures at the other end thereof, and saidretaining member comprises a U- shaped clip having outwardly turned endsthereof engaged in said apertures and retained therein by said brushelement.

4. A brush assembly comprising a hollow holder body, one end portion ofsaid body being externally threaded and axially bifurcated, a retainingmember resiliently secured to and within said body and having at least aportion thereof extending between the furcations of said one endportion, a brush element folded around said reraining member portion andhaving the ends thereof extending through the body and outwardly of theother end thereof, and adapter means threaded on said one end portionfor compressing and detachably securing the folded portion of said brushelement within said furcations and between said retaining member portionand said adapter means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS536,181 Bingeman et al Mar. 26, 1895 853,582 Gohrband May 14, 19071,119,335 Anderson Dec. 1., 1914 1,451,775 Husch et al Apr. 17, 1923FOREIGN PATENTS 7 648,303 Lafr'age Aug. 13, 1928

